Our Basic Jelly recipe shows how to turn fresh fruit into homemade jelly in just a few steps. This recipe works equally well with apples, grapes, berries, and stone fruit, though the amount of water needed for each type will differ somewhat. (Refer to the "variations" section below recipe for water amounts.)
To make this jelly, you’ll cut fruit into small pieces and boil it, mashing it as it cooks, until the fruit is very soft. From there, you’ll set the cooked fruit over a sieve and strain out the juices. The fruit juice is then cooked with sugar, plus a touch of lemon and salt, until it reaches the target temperature where it's able to set up into jelly. Divided into jars and stored in the refrigerator, this recipe makes a great homemade gift, or simply an easy way to savor the taste of peak-season fruit.
The Difference Between Jelly and Jam
Jelly and jam can both be made from a variety of fruits and may be canned or refrigerated depending on the recipe. The biggest difference between them, however, is that jelly is made with fruit juice that has had the solids strained out, whereas jam is made mostly with mashed fruit pieces as well as their juices.
An instant-read or candy thermometer takes the guesswork out of knowing when the jelly has cooked long enough to set up, but you can still make this recipe without one. See our instructions below for using the "sheeting test" to tell when the juices have reached the proper temperature.
Directions
Boil fruit and water:
Combine fruit and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, mashing occasionally with a potato masher, until fruit is very soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer to a sieve and let drain:
Transfer mixture to a fine sieve set over a heatproof bowl; let drain without pressing on fruit, 4 hours. Strain again through sieve lined with damp cheesecloth. Measure juice; you will have 3 to 4 cups.
Bring juice to a boil; add sugar, then add lemon juice and salt:
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring juice to a boil. Add 3/4 cup sugar for each cup of juice. Add lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Return to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, 8 to 12 minutes.
Test for doneness:
To test if jelly is done, dip a large metal spoon in, lift it horizontally above pot, and let mixture drip back in. Jelly is done when mixture has thickened slightly and drops of it slide together off spoon in a sheet. (Temperature should register 221° F on a candy thermometer.) Skim foam from top.
Ladle into clean jars; let cool:
Ladle jelly into clean containers, leaving 3/4 inch of headroom. Let cool completely.
Storage
After dividing among jars and letting jelly cool to room temperature, secure each jar with a lid and label with the contents and date. Jelly can be refrigerated for up to 1 month or frozen for up to 1 year.
Variations
Adjust your water as follows:
- Apple: 3 3/4 cups water; use 2 pounds McIntosh and 1 pound Granny Smith, cut up with cores and skin
- Grape: 1 cup water
- Plum: 1 1/2 cups water
- Raspberry: 1 1/2 cups water
Other Jelly and Jam Recipes to Try:
Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, September 2015
FAQs
1. Fruits that are high in natural pectin and acid.
Some examples of the fruits that are high in natural pectin and acid are apples, oranges, melons, cherries, currants, grapes, raspberries. While the opposites are peaches, strawberries, peach, pineapple, grapefruit, pears, blueberries, papaya.
What are the four required ingredients in a jelly? ›
Ingredients. Substances essential for fruit jelly making are fruit flavor, pectin, sugar, acid and water. A pectin gel or jelly forms when a suitable concentration of pectin, sugar, acid, and water is achieved.
What is the secret to making jelly? ›
Jellies are produced by extracting the juice from fruits and then adding sugar and lemon juice (or another acid), while pectin is added to help it solidify. Unlike jams, jellies are known for their heightened sweetness, which is achieved by cooking the fruit over low heat for an extended period.
How long do you boil fruit for jelly? ›
Boil fruit and water:
Combine fruit and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, mashing occasionally with a potato masher, until fruit is very soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
Which fruit is most suitable for jelly making? ›
Guava has high content of pectin that makes it suitable for jelly making.
What fruit can you not put in jelly? ›
Some fresh fruits prevent Jell-O and other types of gelatin from gelling. These are fruits that contain high levels of proteases. Proteases are enzymes that break chemical bonds in proteins, such as collagen in gelatin. Pineapple, kiwi, papaya, mango, and guava are examples of fruits that cause a problem.
Which ingredients for jelly making that should have rich flavor? ›
Proper amounts of four ingredients, fruit, pectin, acid and sugar, are essential when making a jellied fruit product. Fruit gives each product its characteristic flavor and furnishes at least part of the pectin and acid for successful gels.
How much sugar to make jelly? ›
To Make Jelly: Use no more than 6 to 8 cups of extracted fruit juice at a time. Double batches do not always gel properly. Measure juice and sugar. When a recipe is not available, try using ¾ cups sugar for each 1 cup of juice.
What ingredient thickens jelly? ›
Pectin is a mucilaginous substance (gummy substance extracted from plants), occurring naturally in pears, apples, quince, oranges, and other citrus fruits. It is used as the gelling agent in traditional jams and jellies.
How do you make homemade jelly thicker? ›
There are a few ways to thicken jelly that didn't set. You can add more sugar, cook it for longer, or add pectin.
This problem is caused by either cooking too long, or having too much sugar in the recipe (brix are too high). Solution: shorten cook time or take some sugar out of the recipe. We suggest making small changes.
How do you thicken jelly without sugar? ›
Use cornstarch.
Cornstarch is a common thickening agent for jams, sauces, soups, and glazes. It's also a viable option for jam recipes with less added sugar or ones that feature fruits with naturally less sugar or pectin.
What ingredients are in jelly fruits? ›
Ingredients: Cane sugar, cranberries and cranberry juice, marion blackberries and marion blackberry juice, raspberries and raspberry juice, key lime juice, ruby red grapefruit juice, corn syrup, pectin, orange oil, lime oil, grapefruit oil and tartaric acid.
How to cook down fruit for jelly? ›
Boil the fruit for 20 minutes: Bring the fruit to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The mixture will start with big, juicy bubbles and slowly progress to small, tighter bubbles as the jam gets closer to doneness.
Will jelly set with fresh fruit in it? ›
Use any combination of fruit, but not pineapple or kiwi fruit, as the jelly won't set if you do. First of all, decide whether you want to make one big jelly or small individual ones. If you are making a big one, it's a good idea to line the bowl with clingfilm first.
